Indicator for magazines of guns



(No Model) W. R. MILLER.

I INDICATOR FOR MAGAZINES OF GUNS. No. 393,653. Patented Nov. 27, 1888'.

-WITNEEEE5 lN\/ENTUFL land, have invented certain Improvements in the said Letters Patent I employ a stem situing as an indicator the plate which is inter- \YlLl.TAM It. MlLLEll. OF

iNoioAToR FOR MA BALTIMORE, MARY L A ND.

eAzinEs or GUNS.

SPECIFICATION forming'par't of Letters Patent No. 393.653, dated November 27, 1888.

Application filed July 2!! 1. 58.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that. l, \VILLIAM' R. Minute, oi the city of Baltimore, and State of Mary- Repeating Fire-;\rms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in Letters Patent of the United States No. 387,531, granted to me on the 7th day of August, 1888, for certain improvements in firearms, to which reference should be had.

In the invention described and shown in ated in the magazine and attached to the mag azine-spring, or some device having a more ment in common therewith, which nineis from the 'end of the magazine, and by the length of the protruding portion indicates the number oicartridges remaining or contained in the magazine. In the preferred construetion shown and described in the said Letters Patent 1 form the magazine spring in'iwo parts or lengths, and inter-pose between the two springs a plate, to which the inner end of the indicating stem is nttru-lml. lly this means I am enabled to reduce the length of movement of the stem at each dilscha'rge of a l cartridge to less than the length of a cartridge. In other words, by the employment of the two springs, as described, the discharge of a cartridge of, say, two and a quarter inches long, may be made to more the stem endwise only one-tenth or one si'vteenth of an inch.

The present invention is for the purpose of adapting the invention described in the said Letters Patent to guns and rillcs in which the magazine extends to the end of thebarrel, and where it would in: objectionable or inconvenient to have an llilllGtttlllQStGlll projecting beyond the end of the magazine.

The invention consists, therefore, in employposed between th two parts of the magazinespring instead of the stem, which is removed, and to admit of this arrangement the magazinc is slotted, so that the position of the said plate may be ascertained.

The invention further consists in means whereby the slot in the magazine may be concealed from view and the entrance of dust to the magazine prevented.

Serial No. 381,063. (.\'0 model.)

. tn the further description of the said invention, which follows, reference is made to the accompanying drawi ngs, forming a parthereof, and in which Figure 1 is an exterior side view of a repeating shotgun embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is'an enlarged central longitudinal section of a part of the magazine of the gun. Fig. 3 is an exterior side view of a part of the barrel and magazine of the gun, also enlarged. Fig. 4 is a cross-section of Fig. 3, taken on the dotted line no Fig. 5 illustrates a inodiliczr tion in the construction of a part of the invention, as hereinafter described; and Fig. 6 is an end view ofa portion of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 illustrates-a further nmlification of tlie'invention, as hereinafter specified.

Similar parts of the invention are represented by similar letters of reference in .all the figures of the drawings.

teferring to Figs. 1 to 4;, inclusive, A, .13, and (l are respectively the stock, barrel, and magazine of the improved lire-arm. D is the magazine spring, whereby the cartridges or shells it are fed from the magazine to the barrel. The magazine spring I) is in two parts or lengths c and (I, the former being. say, one fifth of the length of the latter. E is a plate interposed between the two parts of the spring, and its faces are preferably made concave to receive the ends of the spring.

l is an indicating-pin projecting from the edge of the plate Fl through a slot,c, in the Wall of the magazine. This slot is of such length as will allow the free movement of the said pin F as the spring is compressed or extended.

To prevent entrance of dust to the mega zine, l provide the pin i with a platc,G, at its outer end,which is long enough to keep the slot at all times covered. The plate is held to the end of the pin by means oi a screw,f.

\Vhen the magazine is tilled with cartridges and the Spring 1) coinpressed,.the shield-plate and pin are forced toward the outer end of the magazine, and as each cartridge is discharged the said pin and its plate move toward the stock of the gun a distance which bears the same proportion to the length ofa cartridge as the length of the short spring does to that of both springs.

In Fig. 3 the center of the pin F is taken an as constructed in Fig. 5.

with the one shown in Figs. 5 and (i, and the will indicate theposition of the plate E and the indicating-point, and the outside of the magazine is marked; but either end of the shield-plate could be used as the indicating point, if desired. It is evident that the shieldplate can be attached directly to the spring, which in that case'would be in one piece; but it is preferred to employ the plate interposed between the two parts of the spring, as shown.

in Figs, 5 and 6 the shield-plate is within the magazine, and consists of two hollow cylindrical extensions of the plate E. A convenient method of marking thoshield-platc when it is made in accordance with the design just described consists in forming in the center of the plate,or at some other part of the same,an annular groove-y, which, in connection with the marks on the outer su riacc ot' the magazine,

the number of cai'tridges contained in the magazine. Fig-G is an end view of the plate indirg. 7 the'nnmerals are stamped on the hield-plate, which corresponds in construction magazine is provided with a small opening instead of a long slot,through which the figures may be read. I claim as my invention- 7 1. In a repeating fire-arm, the magazine thereof having an opening in the side of its the said spring or an attachment thereof and through the said opening, and a shield-plate secured to the said pin on the outside of the magazine, substantially as specified.

2. In a repeating fire-arm, the magazine at all times closed,suhstantially as thereof having an openingin the side of its wall, combined with a magazine-spring in two parts, aplate interposed between the two parts of the said spring, a pin projecting from the 40 said plate and through the said opening in the magazine-Wall, and a shield-plate fastened to the end of the said pin, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a repeating fire-arm, thereof having an opening in the side of its wall, combined with a magazincspring in two parts, with plate interposed between the adjacent GQQ'h'Of the two parts. of the spring, and

an indicating-pin which projects from the side of the plate and into the said opening, substantially as and forthe purpose specified.

4. In a repeating fire-arni, the magazine thereof having an opening in the side of its wall, combined with a magazine-spring in two 5 5 parts, a plate interposed between the two parts of the said spring, a pin projecting from the said plate and into the said opening, and. a shield-plate adapted to cover the said opening and at the same time admit of the movement of the said pin, substantially as and for the purpose specified. '5. In a repeati g fire-arm, themagazinc thereof having a opening in the side of its walhcombinedwith ama azine-springin two parts, a plate interposed etween the two parts of the said spring,having an indicating-point, and a shield adapted to keep the said opening and for the purpose specified. i [i I \VILLIAM R. MILLER.

' Witnesses:

' WM. '1. HOWARD, H. M FITZHUGIL the magazine 45 

